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California To Break Ground On Bullet-Train In January

FRESNO (AP) — After many setbacks, the California High-Speed Rail Authority has announced it will officially break ground on construction of its statewide bullet-train route next month in Fresno.

The authority didn't say where in Fresno the Jan. 6 groundbreaking ceremony announced Friday will be held.

The announcement comes 20 months after the authority awarded the joint venture Tutor Perini/Zachry/Parsons a $1 billion contract to build the initial link from Madera to Fresno.

Voters approved issuing $10 billion in bonds for the project in 2008. Officials hoped to break ground last summer on what would be the nation's first high-speed rail system, but public support has dwindled in recent years as the project's costs have soared.

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

 

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